TAI Origins
by Henny101
Summary: The Avengers have fallen and only Captain America remains. After twenty years since Cap lost his team he is finally fulfilling Tony Stark's final wish. The New Avengers Initiative, aka T.A.I. This is the story of T.A.I's humble beginnings.
1. The Avengers Fall

"Tony what the hell are you doing?" Captain America voice carried threw the glass and over various screams of agony to reach Tony Stark.

"I'm," he started coughing aggressively, "prepping my new toy." Even in dire situations Tony had a light tone. This only made Cap even madder. He couldn't believe this man! His toy was going to blow up everyone that was infected, which included all the Avengers _except_ for Cap.

"You'll die!" His voice was hoarse as he choked back tears. "You all will die."

"But you won't." Stark's voice had also gone raspy. He gave his friend a sad smile. "You have," he started to cough again. Blood was coming out as he hacked. He started again, "You have to form a new team. The New Avengers Initiative. Train that Parker kid and recruit some newbies."

"I… I can't just leave you guys…" Cap walked closer to the thick, slightly tinted glass and put a gloved hand on it. "You and the team are all I have." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Cap." Tony's voice cut threw him and stabbed him in the heart. Steve looked at Stark square in the eyes. For the first and last time, Steve saw Tony cry.

"No matter what you do. I. Am. Not. Leaving. This. SPOT." Steve watched as calculations formed in the billionaire's head. "Tony no. No. TONY!"

Time slowed as Tony gave Steve one last smile and said "Later Cap." Tony Stark's hand hit the button and a loud beep sounded threw the building. The sound was deafening. The explosion caused an array of colors from blue to red, burning anything in sight. The wave from the blast broke the glass sending Steve flying backwards. A loud thump marked the ceiling caving in on the side that Tony had been on. Heart hammering, ears ringing, and skin burning from the heat of the fire, Steve tried to find his footing. He slipped on something and fell back down to his knees.

It was Iron Man's helmet. Steve brought it to his chest, tightening his grip around it. Tears streamed down his mucky face, stinging his cracked lips. His breaths came out loud and hard. An ear-splitting scream escaped his lips and he collapsed with Iron Man's helmet still in his grip.


	2. An Old Friend

The room was quiet except for the scratching of pen on paper. A gold nameplate glistened in the sun on the top right corner of the director's desk. Like most of the time, the director wasn't doing anything constructive. He was just sitting at his desk sketching pictures of old memories.

The sudden sound of footsteps startled him out of his concentration. He looked up to a black haired man with blue eyes. Twenty years and not a hint of age showed on his old friend's face. The man's face softened as he looked down at the director's art.

"Still reminiscing, old friend?"

"Everyday, Loki, everyday." The director let out a sigh. After the Avengers first battle, against Loki, they had all become friends. He had apparently gone threw a lot of discipline in Asgard. The day the director's team died Loki had been on Asgard. When he had received the news of what happened he rushed to Earth. He was the first person to reach the director after the blast. "It's been twenty years but not one day goes by that I don't think about them." Another sigh. "You probably didn't come to here me 'reminisce.' So what's the problem?"

"The Man of Iron's final covet to you, Steve." Loki cringed inside remembering how his brother had called Stark the Man of Iron even though he knew that it was wrong. "What plans have you about this new band of protectors?"

The truth? Steve hadn't even thought about the project. For a while, Steve, Peter Parker, and Loki had fought off villains. That had only lasted a year, though because Fury fell ill. He had developed small cell lung cancer. No one knew how or why it formed but it was there. Asgard and Peter did everything they could but the only thing they could do was slow it from spreading. Fury succumbed a week later. Before he died he handed the directors position to Steve. "I haven't given it any thought." Steve said while shrugging. "We haven't needed anything like a new team in years. Things have been… quiet."

"Nothing good shall ever come of something staying quiet." Loki sat down. "View me as an exemplar. I kept my distance from Asgard and now I sit on the throne." He smiled weakly and sighed. "It is most likely for the best that you, once again, have someone to summon when you are in need of assistance."

Steve knew that Loki was right. The only problem was that he didn't want anyone getting hurt. Sure agents got hurt everyday but this was different. The Avengers always had had it worse.

"Director." Steve looked up to the doorway where one of the agents stood. "Sorry to interrupt but Target S is on the move."


End file.
